Things to avoid at trade shows

With so many companies under one roof, it’s hard to stand out at trade shows. Here are some tips.
Unique giveaways – have the swag that everyone is …

For most companies, the bulk of their marketing budget goes straight into trade shows. Even if you plan to attend a trade show with a small presence, the amount of expenses incurred really adds up. From staff tickets and hotels, per diem, catering, swag, sponsorship and so much more, you can easily end up with a hefty bill.

So, when you finally make it to the trade show and everything is buzzing on day one, it is important to ensure that all your efforts do not go to waste. Here are a few things to avoid at trade shows.

An empty reception – make sure that there is someone at reception at all times. If someone has walked up to your booth then you obviously have something that they are interested in and losing a potential client or partner is the last thing you need. Have your hostesses coordinate their break time and ask them to ensure someone is there before they leave the front desk.

Chasing people – you want to be a go getter but there’s always a limit. Don’t be that company that looks really desperate to pull people into the booth – it’s not the best look. Avoid screaming over to people as they’re walking by. If things are quiet at the booth and you think valuable show time is being wasted then walk around and go to other booths to arrange meetings.

Very loud music – booth parties are great and when there’s good tunes, people, food and drinks they can be an incredible way to draw the right attention to your booth. However, when there’s no party and there are people at your booth meeting to discuss business, it’s best to keep the music down. No one wants music blaring when they’re trying to have a serious conversation. This also applies to video sounds – visual graphics are great and sound effects can make a video even more appealing but if it’s on at your booth all day it’ll likely drive your staff and visitors crazy.

Messy food – if you are ordering catering for your booth, be selective. Listen to your mind, not your tastebuds. Take time to look through the menu and choose based on convenience. Fingers foods that can be eaten without making a mess work best. Avoid food with crumbs that will be left all over your booth like chips, certain pastries and anything else that will leave a message behind.

Huge centrepieces -this applies to both the tables on the floor and in a meeting room. Flowers look great and there’s probably no such thing as too many but avoid gigantic structures that will block your view of the person seated at the meeting table with you.